Baby jumper



March 15, 1955 WUNDERUCH 2,704,111

BABY JUMPER Filad June 21, 1954 2 sneaks-sheet 1 1 N VEN TOR.

March 1955 L. H. WUNDERLICH BABY JUMPER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 21,1954 United States Patent BABY JUMPER Lowell H. Wunderlich, Billings,Mont.

Application June 21, 1954, Serial No. 437,917

1 Claim. (Cl. 155-18) This invention relates to baby holding andexercising devices.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a baby holding andexercising device wherein the infant by moving his feet will oscillatevertically, while travelling in a circular path, spring means beingprovided for taking up the slack of the vertical oscillation, saidspring means being adjustable to the weight of the child.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a baby holdingand exercising device of the above type which may be easily disassembledand folded up into a compact unit for portability and convenience instorage.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a baby holding andexercising device bearing the above objects in mind which is of simpleconstruction, inexpensive to manufacture, has a minimum number of parts,is easy to use and efficient in operation.

For other objects and a better understanding of the invention, referencemay be had to the following detailed description, taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention shown in operative assembly;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the base portion of the device showingthe manner in which the legs are folded together when not in use forgreater compactness and portability; 1

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the seat portion taken along theline 3-3 of Fig. 1; f

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the device in operative use andshowing in phantom the joscillating positions of the horizontal seatsupporting arm;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged top plan view of the other end of the seatsupporting arm;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view shown partly inelevation of the base portion and taken along the line 66 of Fig. 1; andii Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of the base portion showing the pivotalmounting of the legs.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing and particularly to Fig. 6,10 represents a hub member wider at the base than at the top andintegrally formed along the under surface thereof with four pair ofradially spaced aligned ears 11 (Fig. 7). Tubular legs 12 are pivotallymounted at their inner ends between each pair of lugs 11 by means of thepins'13, the inner and outer portions of each of the legs being offsetrelative to each other and terminating in the enlarged ball ends 14. Theundersurface of the base member 10 (Figs. 2) is provided with thesemi-cylindrical grooves 15 receiving therewithin the inner ends of thelegs 12 when the latter are in the operative position of Fig. 1.

Thus, when the base portion 10 is not being employed, the legs 12 may befolded together as shown in Fig. 2 for greater compactness andportability.

As shown in Fig. 6, the hub member 10 is provided with central bore 16which communicates with an enlarged upper bore 17 extending inwardlyfrom the upper end thereof and with an enlarged lower bore 18 extendingupwardly from the under surface thereof. Outer race 19 is secured withinthe lower bore 18 and receives therein the ball bearings 20 whichrotatably mount the inner race 21. Similarly, an outer race 22 ismounted within the upper bore 17 and receives therewithin the ballbearings 23 which rotatably mount the inner race 2,704,111 Patented Mar.15, 1955 24, the inner races 24 and 21 having central bores alignedvertically in the manner shown.

A central inclined arm 25 is formed at its lower end with a verticalportion 26. The lower end of the vertical portion 26 is integrallyformed with an extension 27 of less diameter than the vertical portion26 and providing thereby a shoulder 28 (Fig. 6). The extension 27 fitsdownwardly within the inner races 24 and 21 and is rotatably supportedtherewithin by a shoulder 28, the arm 25 being retained in the hubmember 10 by gravity.

An elongated horizontal tubular arm 28 is fixedly connected at its innerend to a vertical tubular arm 29 by means of the plates 30 and rivets31, as shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5, the arm 29 being disposed atsubstantially right angles to the arm 28.

The upper end of arm 25 is received and pivotally mounted between theplates 30 by means of pin 32.

A collar 33 is adjustable along the arm 25 by means of wing nut 34, theside of collar 33 remote from wing nut 34. being integrally formed witha perforated lug 35 which mounts one end of a spring 36. A second collar37 is adjustable along the vertical arm 29 by means of a wing nut 38,the side of collar 37 remote from wing nut 38 being integrally formedwith a perforated lug 39 which mounts the other end of spring 36. Thespring 36 serves to retain the arm 28 in proper relationship to the arm25, the tension of the spring 36 being adjustable by adjustment ofcollars 33 and 37 whereby to vary the tension according to the weight ofthe child 40 (Fig. 4).

A ring support 41 is integrally formed with an extension 42 which isreceived within the outer open end of the tubular arm 28 and securedtherewithin by means of a pin 43. An aluminum seat 44 adapted to supportthe child 40 thereon is integrally formed around its arcuate rear edgewith a vertical wall 45 and at its front end with a vertical support 46.The upper edge of the rear wall 45 is integrally formed with asubstantially U-shaped flange 47 adapted to fit downwardly on ring 41while the upper end of the front wall 46 is integrally formed with theU-shaped flanges 48 adapted to fit downwardly upon ring 41. Thus, theseat 44 is removably supported. upon the ring 41 and is adjustableangularly thereon, as will be obvious. The flanges 47 and 48 are adaptedto be snapped downwardly onto the supporting ring 41.

In operation, with the various parts in assembled relationship of Fig.1, the child 40 will be supported on the seat 44 within the supportingring 41 which latter also serves as a handle. It will be noted that theweight of the child, the seat 44, arms 28 and 29 will serve to retainthe arm 25 within the ball bearings 23, 20 and will permit therotational movement thereof about the base member 10 to-' permit thechild to move in a circular pattern. When the child pushes with hislegs, the arm 28 will oscillate vertically (Fig. 4) with the spring 36taking up the slack. As the child pushes with his legs, the seat 44 willmove in a circular path about the hub member 10. Y

When not in use, the arm 25 may be removed from the hub member 10, whichlatter may be stored in a compact manner by folding the legs 12together, as shown in Fig. 2. By adjustment of the sleeves 33 and 37,the tension of the spring 36 may be varied according to the weight ofthe child 40.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shallbe understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope ofthe present invention as defined by the appended claim.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

A baby holding and exercising device comprising a central hub portion, aplurality of outwardly extending legs, radially spaced, depending pairsof lugs on the undersurface of said hub member, the inner ends of eachof said legs being received between each pair of said lugs, pin meansrotatbaly mounting said inner ends between said lugs, the undersurfaceof said hub member having substantially semicylindrical grooves adaptedto receive the inner ends of said legs therewithin when said legs are inthe operative position and permitting said legs to be folded togetherwhen not in use, an inclined arm, said hub member having a substantiallyvertical bore therethrough, first ball bearing assemblies at the upperend of said bore within said central hub member, second ball bearingassembly within the lower end of said hub member surrounding said bore,said inclined arm at the inner end thereof having a vertical downwardlyextending portion, said downwardly extending portion having an extensionof less diameter than said vertical portion thereof and adapted to fitdownwardly within said bore and to be rotatably mounted within saidfirst and second ball bearing assemblies with the lower end of saidvertical portion supported on the uppermost of said ball bearingassemblies, an elongated, substantially horizontal arm, a substantiallyvertical arm at the inner end of said horizontal arm, plates securingsaid vertical arm at substantially right angles to said horizontal arm,the upper end of said inclined arm being received and pivotally mountedbetween said plates, a

first collar adjustable along said inclined arm, a second collaradjustable along said vertical arm, a' spring connecting said first andsecond collars, said legs comprising inner portions offset relative toouter portions, said child supporting means comprising a supporting ringhaving a shank adapted to fit within the outer end of said horizontalarm, means for securing said shank within said horizontal arm, a seatadapted to support the child thereon, said seat at the front and rearthereof having vertical walls extending upwardly therefrom, saidvertical walls at the upper edges thereof being formed with flanges ofsubstantially U-shaped cross section adapted to be snapped downwardly onto said supporting ring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D.159,451 Smith July 25, 1950 1,832,755 Waddell Nov. 17, 1931 2,548,228McCray Apr. 10, 1951 2,630,289 Selig Mar. 3, 1953

